Hello everyone! Despite cancer and many other obstacles I am now able to blog again. Since my last post, my world unraveled and it has been a great struggle. Our financial problems got very bad. We were and continue to struggle to keep our home due to having problems paying our mortgage, then we got behind in utilities, phone and etc. It is a spiral effect and you know how it goes, you can only pay what you can. My daughter’s work has been very slow for three months and her income has suffered. My son ended up in the ER for severe pain and ended up having a kidney stone. His doctors said they would treat with pain medication and it would pass. Little did we know, that was not going to happen. He spent about a month is severe pain until one night, he could barely urinate. He had to have emergency surgery. The surgeon performed the surgery late in the day and sent him home less than two hours after it. Of course, he ended up back in the ER within three hours. Turned out the 6mm stone had been lodged for so long that it caused severe swelling. He either had to endure a few more weeks of pain or have a stent placed in the urethra to keep it open. He decided to tough it out. Thankfully, he is now well and recovered.

Let me talk about myself. Since my last blog, I have had my follow-up PET scan. I saw my Oncologist and he gave me favorable results. My cancer has improved signifigantly. I really did not realize how sick I was with stage 4 peritoneal cancer. I had lymph nodes in my chest that have now resolved as well as pleural effusions in my lungs and fluid around my heart which is also resolved. My adbominal area now only shows some minimal hypermetabolic activity over 2 parts of the colon. This means there is an increase in inflammation in those areas. Now, the reasons can be that the tumors are still shrinking or the tumors are still there or infection. My Oncologist said that for two to three months after chemotherapy the tumors can still shrink. He thinks that is what this is. I have to tell you I am so excited that I am better, but still freaked out about the possibilty that there may still be some cancer. I have to have another PET Scan the end of the month and see my Oncologist in March. I have had a cough for the last few weeks, so I am scared, but I know I have to keep positive. It is such a challenge. I continue to be weak and do not have much energy, but he also told be that can take 6 or more months to improve. I do my best to be active when I can. I walk a bit, but not for long. I also still have severe pain in my arms from my polymyelits rheumatica or myalgia. Seems like my doctors call it two different ways. It is easy for me to get frustrated when I can barely lift my arms. Trust me the exercises are a “bitch”.

I have continued to take my iron twice a day as I am still anemic. I have continued all my vitamin regime, including Protandim, which I purchase at Livelifehealer.com. I also continue with Turmeric which helps with inflammation. I still do my juicing of Odwalla supergreen when we can afford it. We had help from the Ceres Project for heathly food last year for 12 weeks which was so wonderful. We do our best to purchase healthy items, but as everyone on a budget knows that can be costly. I find it frustrating that as an example, sea bass if very healthy for cancer, yet is is super expensive. Of course salmon is also healthy, still costly, but not as much as sea bass. Protein is very important as I have mentioned in the past, but if you do protein shakes and supplements, prices vary quite a bit. You really have to shop around to find the lowest prices. Organic, raw/fresh are always the best, again not cheap. This is where I end up not getting the organic due to cost, but do try to eat the fruits and veggies that are on sale. Do what you can I say and keep plugging along. I know that most of the world sturggles and we all have to keep fighting to keep going. We have to believe our health will be with us and the world will somehow provide financially as long as we pray, have faith, work hard, stay positive and are good to one another.

Remember life is a gift and I know I want to keep my life going for many years to come. Thank you for letting me in your lives to share my thoughts. As long as I can keep my internet on, I will do my best to drop in as often as possible with updates or cancer tips.

Hi and thank you for the pep talk for Gia. She is actually stable on her cancer and now has to be evaluated for degenerated shoulders which have huge effusions of fluid and debri. Her Oncologist wants her to see if there is any possibility of shoulder replacements as hers are so bad, she is not to exercise them. We are thrilled that her cancer is stable. Going to have a Pet scan again in a few weeks to check. I am helping her type as she is in extreme arm pain and can’t sit up or stand for too long. She have such a hard time staying positive. Congratulations on beating melanoma! You are right mental outlook has to go with the physical. Will do our best to post. Have just been overwhelmed with financial issues and the rest you know. God Bless

OMG we have got to get connected!!!!!! I am on Protandim for 2 years now, that’s why I have only a slow moving Lung Cancer. Starting radiation this thursday. I take 2 Protandims a day now. I drink Herbal Life’s shake to stop the weight loss. I was/am on oxygen prior to this for 3 years now. And prior to that, July 5, 2000 ended my 28 yr career as a Medic, disabling me with severe nerve damage, blowing out C 4-5-6 vertebrae. On enough drugs to stone a horse, but need every pill I take. Had two surgeries. Got a plate but with a loose screw LMAO Seriously, it’s rubbing on C7 and need surgery to fix it all again. Sweetie, we’ve got to connect. Now if you tell me you are a farmer’s daughter and played the drums in school then I would say I found my twin. LOL I blog too but I make money doing it. OMG I need to help you with that. on Facebook I am RosannAt.angelhaven I think. Oh well just put in my name and find me. I put in my website blog below for you to go check out. I just put a bunch of research papers in there from pubmed dot org. on Protandim. That is how I found you because I use Zemanta on my blog and your article came up. I have it on my blog for related articles to read. I live one hour straight east of St. Louis, MO which is Siteman’s Cancer Research Center where I am going to at Barnes/Jewish Hospital. I go there for Pain Management too. I will pray for you tonight, every night and send you energy and a white light, green too for healing LOL. I also was a Professional Videographer and Post Production Editor especially for Cancer Relay for Life for 5 years until I’ve lost all strength and control in my arms. My hands are already numb. My nerves are dying like a tree does. I feel ya on the cost of food and shakes plus medicine with being on Medicare and a supplement sucks. Wasn’t so bad when I was able to be on a private insurance as a supplement but that had to end. Dammit! LOL My fear is to be like you and have more than one cancer. That’s why, one reason why I am taking 2 Protandim now. You can read about it in my blog in the research papers. I have got to get you in Empower Network so you can afford the best babe. You deserve the best! You’re a Mom, my God, you have got to have the best for your kids. I got to get to bed. I’m only out of it for about 6 hours a day. Sucks, some days it’s more. Please, please, please take care and let’s connect. God bless you Gia. Rosann Gebke a.k.a. Wildangel (my medic nickname) You are fixable, we all are fixable, just remember that!

This is Gia’s daughter, Ang. I am so sorry it has taken us so long to get back to you. We have had a terrible time keeping up on our mortgage and etc. Also Mom has just been in so much pain in her arms, that she is not well enough, to go see an orthopedist. She is also still not up to “par” and just has been depressed alot lately. I read your comment to her and you are amazing! We will pray for your too. We all take Protandim and we are big believers too. I feel bad that we have not kept up on the site. I will look at your site, as it would be great to make some money which we are in desperate need of. I am typing tonight as Mom’s shoulders are so deteriorated, that she has huge effusions in her arms and she has to keep the use of her right arm at a minimum. Mom wants you to know she is in bed quite a bit too as she can’t handle the arm pain for very long sitting up or standing. All the supplements and medications are truly too expensive, but yes we all need them. You keep strong too. Thank you so much for the beautiful comment. I will help Mom typing as possible. I am working two jobs trying to come up with our mortgage in which we are two months behind which is stressing us out. We will keep plugging along. Hope to keep in touch. God Bless, Gia and Ang